


What Baking Can Do

by Irrelevantrelevancy



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken, Waitress - Bareilles/Nelson
Genre: Affairs, Domestic Violence, I don't know how i come up with this, M/M, Manipulation, if you know Waitress then you know where this is going, newsies au, please bear with me on this one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:27:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25598788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Irrelevantrelevancy/pseuds/Irrelevantrelevancy
Summary: Jack’s mind felt fuzzy, he had barely slept last night. But it was fine, at this point he could make most of these pies in his sleep, which might end up being the case if he didn’t get started now.
Relationships: Crutchie/Finch (Newsies), David Jacobs/Jack Kelly, Spot Conlon/Racetrack Higgins
Comments: 3
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys I hope you enjoy this!

Jack’s mind felt fuzzy, he had barely slept last night. But it was fine, at this point he could make most of these pies in his sleep, which might end up being the case if he didn’t get started now. He fiddled with the keys in his hands trying to find the right one. Was he supposed to have these keys? No. Would old man Jacobi have a fit if he found out? You bet your ass he would. That was the point he argued but Spot had just shoved the keys in his apron without another word and moved on with his day. He grunted as he jingled the key in the door, they needed to fix this damn thing. The telltale creak was music to his ears and he rushed inside setting his backpack down. It was cold out there today. He did have a scarf and hat but Eve had needed it and well...he couldn’t deny her anything, not when she did so much for him already. _Why do I need my own when I could just use yours, huh?_ He shook his head and grabbed his apron off the rack. J A C K it read in messy blue stitching, it was a surprise gift from Crutchie, that man had a heart the size of Texas.

No. twice as big.

He clicked his teeth and slid his way into the kitchen, just the sight of the ol’ girl made his heart swell. No arguments,no rude customers,no bills,no wives...nothing could bother him when he was in here. But It was still far too cold for his liking.

“Let’s get you fired up”He smiled and walked over to the oven. This thing had been running as long as he’s been here and hadn’t given up yet, it deserved a medal. He remembered his first year in this kitchen, fresh outta high school looking for a way to pay through college. How he ended up married and ungraduated was still beyond him. A supposed temporary job had been with him almost ten years. He twisted a few knobs and huffed as it barely kicked to life.

“Well you don’t have to be rude about it”He muttered, then stalled. i’m talkin to an oven, I must be losing my mind”

He buried the thought away to evaluate later and moved to the pantry. Sugar,butter...where was the flour? His eyes scanned the shelves and he furrowed his brows. 

“Sugar”He said plucking the sack off the shelf, “Butter...butter...aha, flour!”

He reached behind a bar of bitter-sweet baking chocolate and emerged victorious. 

“Now what were you doin back there?”He mused as he planted the ingredients on the table, “Race has _got_ to stop movin my stuff”

He looked at the ingredients in his hand and frowned, he was missing something. “Sugar,butter,flour...sugar..butter...oh shit, the pie tins!”

He squatted and grabbed a few from under his working cart. “If my head wasn’t attached to my shoulders, i’d forget that too in the mornin’”

It was very clear that Jack Kelly was not a morning person. He also wasn’t an afternoon person, or an evening person. Sometimes he wondered if he was even a person. He just felt like a body they left wandering on autopilot. He shook those thoughts away and focused on what he was working on today, they weren’t productive. That’s what Eve always told him anyways. _There’s no use in bitching, you’ve got a roof over your head and I'm putting food on the table, be grateful_ . He flinched as an egg rolled off the table and splattered against the floor, when did he even grab the eggs? He’d clean that up later. _Be grateful_ , he reminded himself. Their apartment was small but it was there’s, he ate most days and he had a wife who loves him...yeah, yeah she loves him and that’s all that should matter.

“Quit bein so damn whiny”He scolded. His mind was wondering again, most days he’d already have at least three pies in the oven by now. He needed to get to work.

“I can make the coconut creme pie”He said out loud. It was a staple here. He’d _have_ to make it anyways. He pulled out the ingredients and got to work, if he sat there for a moment longer nothing would get done, and he wasn’t in the mood for Jacobi’s temper today. His hip bumped against the table as he bent over to grab the coconut flakes and he heard it before he sat it. A loud crash and a puff of flour swirled around the room. He let himself stare silently for a few moments before he moved to grab the mop.

“What a mess i’m making”

* * *

“Jack!”he heard and jumped. Ignoring the weird look from his friends and especially Spot he cleared his throat. “Mm, what?”

“What’s the special pie today?”

“Deep shit blueberry bacon”he answered with a smile. Spot raised a brow.

“Deep _shit?_ ” His brain froze and his face contorted in horror.

“Dish!”He ammended, “Deep dish, sorry Spot it’ll be out before they know it”

“C’mon Jack”Spot chided and walked back out of the kitchen. He let his arms go slack against the table and groaned, nothing was going right. When he was sure Spot was gone Race spoke.

“Alright, talk to mama-”

“You ain’t my mama-”

“You _know_ what I mean” Race said, fixing him with a hard stare. “The hell was that about?”

“Nothing”he said, “Just a little tired is all, don’t worry about me”

“That”Race gestured, “Was not nothing and you know it-”

“I’m just tired-”

“Like hell you are-”

“ _Please!_ ”Crutchie said, waving the hand that wasn’t supporting his crutch. “It seems we’re all a bit annoyed right now so let’s drop it, yeah? We’ve still got work to do” Race didn’t let up his glare but he nodded regardless and tied up his apron. _We’ll talk later_ , that was a look Jack knew all too well. He nodded solemnly and turned back to his station.

“Race I think you should be on serving right now”Crutchie continued, “I’ll be on orders and Jack we’ll come get you if we need help”

“No, no it’s fine I can serve too-”He started, but the blonde shuffled over and placed a hand on his shoulder. Jack couldn’t help the shame that flooded through him as he eyed the shiny leg brace. And he was complaining about being tired...

“Don’t worry about it”Crutchie said, “you just focus on making them delicious pies, yeah?”

“But your leg-”

“Is doing _fine,_ ”Crutchie interrupted, “I'm fine Jack, are you?”

The question hung in the air like humidity clung to the skin. He could argue with Race, he could argue with Race until the cows came home. They could both scream at each other until one of them broke but he couldn’t do that to Crutchie, he just couldn’t. Race rolled his eyes and slammed the kitchen as he left. Jack winced and rubbed his temples, it was going to be a long day.

“Aye!”Spot exclaimed from the front of the diner, “Don’t be slammin my doors!”

“Take that tone with your mother Spotty, not me!”

Jack and Crutchie gave each other a look and couldn’t help laughing.

“One day he’s going to tear Spot’s head off”Crutchie giggled, Jack nodded and wiped his hands down on his apron. Race’s temper was as well known in this diner as its name. But, you got what you paid for in this part of town.

“I got half a mind to fire you!”

“Well then maybe if you had a full one you’d do it!”

“I should get out there”Crutchie winced and limped to the door, “you sure you’re okay Jack?”

 _No._ He forced a smile and nodded, “i’m sure”

“On your honor?”Crutchie said with a raised brow.

“On my _mother_ ,”He said. It had slipped out before he could think and now he felt guilty. “Now get out there before Race wipes the floor with him”

Crutchie chuckled and shook his head, “You’re a good man Jack Kelly”

His chest tightened but he hid it behind a snort. “Nah, i’m just on cleaning duty today and I don’t feel like mopping Spot off the floor”

“Will you ever take a compliment?” It was said playfully but you could read the world in those Hazel eyes, open and innocent. Not jaded, not guarded. They didn’t deserve Crutchie.

“Says the one who reads to kittens at the shelter”He said. The blonde blushed down to his neck and limped out of the kitchen. When he was finally alone Jack let out a deep sigh and rubbed his eyes.

“God I hope no one hurts that kid”


	2. Life is hard for dreamers dark chocolate pie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning this chapter depicts the progression of an abusive relationship which entails violence and emotional manipulation. if this is triggering for you please do not read this chapter.

_“They say times are hard for dreamers, but they won’t be hard for me-”_

“I’ve saved up everything I know, to take that step beyond the lawn…”Jack sang softly along with the radio. “Keep walkin till I see the station and then see it go…” It was late now. The diners' rules were they opened early and closed even earlier. Mr.Jacobi was no saint--he was honestly a thorn in Jack’s side most days--but even he knew it was dangerous to be in this part of town too late. Always said it was because he didn’t want to mop the blood off the sidewalk, but deep down Jack knew he cared. Everyone else took that gratefully and clocked out as soon as the clock struck 8pm, but Jack didn’t. He liked to come in early and stay late, anything to keep him from spending too much time at home. He liked the quiet, liked to play his music and finally get the clarity to work.

“They say times are hard for dreamers, and who knows maybe they are”he sang as he wiped the flour off his station. “...and I might be a dreamer, but it’s gotten me this far and that is far enough for me”

Jack Kelly was a dreamer, anyone who knew him could tell you. His mother always said he spent more time with his head in the clouds than his feet on the ground. Back when he was young, and his parents would argue, his mind started to wander. Always told himself he’d grow up to be a cowboy, lasso his dad and hog tie him to a railroad track, then him and his mama would ride away into the sunset. He always told himself he was going to save her. Now she was long gone and here he was almost thirty years old working the same job day in and out. He couldn’t save her, he can’t even save himself.

Yeah he was a dreamer all right. He came to New York with a dream,a guitar and a sketchbook full of all the places he would see. He fingers flexed against the damp rag, what he would give to hold that guitar one last time…

_Jack smiled as he strolled down the long hallway, suitcase in tow. He shot a cheesy grin over his shoulder, “C’mon mama! I wanna see who i’m roomin with!”_

_“Hold your horses cowboy”she warned, though she was smiling. “My legs don’t move as fast as they used to”_

_“That’s because they never did”He snorted, “It won’t be that bad, it should be around this corner”_

_“Jack Francis, you’re gonna put me in an early grave”she sighed._

_“Mama!”he scolded, “don’t say things like that! I swear I can’t take you anywhere, you don’t behave!”_

_“Says you”she chuckled, “ain’t it that one right there?”_

_Room 228. Jack skidded to a halt in front of the door and froze._

_“Well go on then”she said, “no time for bein shy now”_

_“Mama-”_

_“Go!” her hand had twisted the handle and he stumbled inside. To his dismay the room definitely wasn’t empty. Two blonde boys sat chatting on one of the beds. They must have already been friends, Jack didn’t want to intrude-_

_“Oh hi!”the shorter one said, his grin was a lil goofy, it made Jack want to smile too. “The names Charlie but my friends call me Crutchie, you must be Jack”_

_Crutchie? He stifled a gasp and nodded. “Y-yeah that’s me”_

_“This is my friend Race”Crutchie said, “I hope you don’t mind him being here, he’s just chillin until his roommate arrives”_

_“It’s no problem at all but...Race?”he asked, tilting his head._

_“Yeah, you got a problem with that?”Race said, his accent was heavy, he must be local._

_“Did I say I have a problem with it?”he asked, folding his arms over his chest. Race looked him over once, then twice and finally smiled._

_“Kids got a backbone, I like ‘im”Race said. Crutchie rolled his eyes and turned to fully face Jack._

_“Don’t mind him, he’s got an attitude problem and an ego the size of manhattan”_

_“Hey!”_ _  
_

_“Did I lie?”Crutchie said, raising a brow. Race just flopped back on the bed with a wounded sigh._

_“Oh!”Crutchie said after a few seconds, “The nicknames! It’s a thing our friends used to do from high school--”_

_“Being friends with theatre kids gets you into some weird shit”Race warned._

_“Racer, you were a theatre kid”Crutchie said._

_“Oh yeah!”_

_“Anyways”Crutchie said, “it was like a way of expressing individuality and all that fun stuff! I’m Crutchie because well, my crutch--”_

_“I’m Racetrack because I was the best at cross country”Race with a wink._

_“And since the boys--and girls, can’t forget smalls--aren’t here to grill you, it’s your lucky day! You get to pick your own”Crutchie said. Jack’s head was spinning but he nodded._

_“Well my mama calls me Cowboy”He said._

_“Ooo very country”Race said, “What’s the story behind that?”_

_“It’s um...it’s a long story?”He said weakly. Before Crutchie could speak, Race had grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the bed._

_“We’ve got time cowboy, spill”_

He thought he had hit the jackpot. He was going to school on a full ride,he had amazing friends and for the most part he got to do what he loved. But he was still young, young and so naive. He was working at a starbucks just off campus when he met her, the woman who made him so weak.

_“Here’s my number, handsome. Call me, I promise you won’t regret it”She was beautiful. His hands shook and he stuttered out a promise that he would._

\-----

 _“A music major at NYU?”She giggled, “Does that mean you plan on serenading me?”_ _  
_

_“If that’s what you want”He smiled._

_“You know what I want?”She said leaning closer._

_“Y-yeah?”_

_“I want you to write a song for me”she said, right against his ear. “Make it good, yeah?” He grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to it._

_“Anything you want Eve”_

\-----

She made him feel like they were the only two on earth. She was always so sure of herself, no matter what she was doing, it was intoxicating. She wined and dined him and to a broke college student that was heaven. It _was_ heaven.

Until it wasn’t.

_“Where are you going?”She asked. Jack tilted his head and put down the bottle of cologne, it was armani, much more than he could afford._

_“I’m going out with Race and Crutchie, I told you this earlier baby”He said. She frowned and walked over musing a hand through his hair._

_“I thought we were going to watch a movie today?”she asked, “and why are you wearing that cologne anyways? What’s the occasion?”_

_“Ain’t no occasion baby”He said, “ I just like it cause it smells good, no reason to fuss.”_

_“What about our movie?”She said, the grip in his hair had gotten tighter._

_“I haven’t seen them in weeks!”he insisted, then winced as her hand balled into a fist._

_“Don’t raise your voice at me Kelly”She said, “You won’t like the consequences”_

_“E-eve”he stammered, “Baby that hurts-”_

_“Good”She said, “Maybe you’ll learn not to cancel our dates to hang out with your stupid friends” before he could respond she had yanked her hand back and stomped out of the room. He took a deep breath and picked up his phone._

_“Crutchie? Yeah um, something came up”_

\-----

_“You know, you don’t need that music school anyways”She said, not tearing her eyes away from the mirror. “What are they teaching you that you don’t already know?”_

_“How to be a musician?”he chuckled, “There’s so much I still need to learn, I haven’t even scratched the surface yet”_

_“Yeah but maybe you can go in less?”She said, “do you really need to be there five days a week?”_

_“Baby please-”he started, but she lifted a hand. He flinched._

_“Don’t baby me Kelly”she said, “Don’t you think I was a student once? I know you don’t need to be there so often. What are you trying to hide from me?”_

_“Nothing Eve-”_

_“Are you cheating on me?”She asked. His eyes went wide and he quickly shook his head._

_“N-no baby I would never-!”_

_“Tell me you love me”She said._

_“Eve we’ve never even said that before-”_

_“Say it!”She shouted. The glass tube filled with crimson lipstick hit the bathroom counter and shattered into fragments. She ignored it and glared at him._

_“I love you”He said softly._

_“hm”She said, and stared. It felt like she was ripping him apart. “No you don’t”_

_“I-I do!”he said, “I promise I do, just please Eve-”_

_“Say it like you mean it then”_

_He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I love you”_

_She smiled and brought a hand up to cup his cheek. “I wanna hear you say that forever”_

_He leaned into the touch and shivered as she ran a sharp nail across his jaw. “Then i’ll say it for forever”_

_“Oh what did I do to deserve you?”She whispered, “You’re too good to me Jack, you know that? Like some angel sent from heaven”_

\-----

_“When are we going to get married?”she asked. Jack choked on his french fry, she stared._

_“Married?”He asked softly, he knew better than to raise his voice. “Eve I...I’m only nineteen”_

_“Yeah but we’re so good together Jackie”she pouted. “Besides, I can provide for us. I've got a good paying job. You can leave that music school behind and write songs for me all day long--oh! How’s that one go? The one about sunshine”_

_“u-uh”He stuttered, “you want me to sing it here?”_

_“That’s what I said”she said, rolling her eyes._

_“Till the sun don’t shine, i’ll be yours, you'll be mine”He sang quietly._

_“I thought you changed those lyrics”She huffed. “I told you I didn’t like them”_

_“You’re right baby”he said, “my mind is just a little woozy right now, what drink did you get me?”_ _  
_

_“It doesn’t matter,”she said. “The song?”_

_“Till the sun don’t shine, you will still be mine…”_

\-----

They had been married for three months until it happened. Eve had lost her Job and she had gotten so drunk...Jack’s knees buckled underneath him and he gripped the table for support.

_“Jack Kelly what did I say about raising your voice!”_

She had been so mad.

_“I’m not asking you to drop out, i’m telling you!”_

_The bottle had only just missed his head._

_“If you leave, i’m going to kill myself. I’m going to kill myself because I am nothing without you! And that’s going to be on your conscious! Don’t think your mama would like that would she!”_ _  
_

_“You don’t know shit about my mama!”he shouted back, “leave her out of this!”_

_Smack._

_His head had whipped to the side before the pain had registered. Once it did she was already apologizing._

_“I-I’m sorry Jackie”she whispered, stroking his cheek. “I didn’t mean to, I just-...do you still love me?”_

_His eyes were blurred with tears. “Yes”_

_“Say it, please”_

_“I love you”_

_“Sing to me. You know i love it when you sing”_

_They had both ended up on the floor. Eve in his lap as he rocked her gently, he had never seen her so small._

_“Till the sun don’t shine…”_

\-----

Jack took a few seconds on the floor to compose himself. Hot tears were streaming down his face and it was like they couldn’t stop. He pulled his knees up to his chest, and rocked himself back and forth back and forth. Just like his mama used to. He stayed like this until the oven beeped and sent him hurtling back into reality. He pulled himself up and wiped his face off on his apron.

“Let’s get this out the oven”he mumbled to himself and grabbed the oven mitts. It smelled delicious but even the thought of eating made him nauseous, he was exhausted, and he still needed to get home.

He placed it on the cooling rack and scribbled a title on a sticky note.

_Life is hard for dreamers dark chocolate pie_

He placed a glass case over it to keep it fresh. On the way out he made sure to hang up his apron, and lock up the kitchen. He didn’t care if the diner got robbed, but no one was touching his pies. He pulled on his coat and fished in his backpack for his earbuds and metrocard. Too tired to pick a song he just left them in for warmth and locked up the diner. As he walked towards the train station his head remained in the clouds.

“They say times are hard for dreamers, but they won’t be hard for me…”

_I've saved up everything I know, to take that step beyond the lawn. Keep walking till I see the station, and then see it go._

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was loosely based around the song Times Are Hard For Dreamers from Amelie! I hope you enjoyed and if you did leave a comment. my broadway tumblr is @sugarbutterbroadway

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment if you enjoyed! my broadway tumblr is @sugarbutterbroadway


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